This is the End

It’s easy to assume that “This is the End” is nothing but a self-indulgent “circle jerk” filled with too many inside jokes to be funny in the relatable way that makes the “Apatow” comedies so successful. While there are some slight shades of smugness, the movie is very funny and still able to be relatable, despite the premise of following Hollywood actors through the apocalypse.

The set up and story make “This is the End” very unique. Rapture comedy may have just become a new genre. It starts with Jay Baruchel coming to LA to visit his old, and now quite successful, friend Seth Rogen for a weekend of weed, junk food and video games. Despite Jay resisting, Seth convinces him to go to a party at James Franco’s new place, which is filled with Seth’s new friends who Jay doesn’t get along with. The party does offer some great comedic moments. Michael Cera is uncharacteristically shallow and coked out, harassing anyone with whom he comes in contact with. The rest of the party offers some great cameos from other top comedians but it seems like more could be done with the little screen time these cameos get. Aziz Ansari, for example, appears shortly but doesn't really do anything with his time on screen. There are a lot of recognizable faces but a lot of them just seem like props. We want to see all of these actors show their comedic ability and it’s irritating that many of the cameos seem wasted.

The party comes to a premature end when the rapture begins. Of course, it's initially unclear that it's the rapture but there’s definitely heavy shit going down be it sink holes, earthquakes or massive fires. Only a few survive and must hold up in James Franco’s house until they, hopefully, get rescued. This may be stating the obvious but if you don’t like these actors or think they’re funny then you’re going to have a bad time. These actors are excellent improvisers and also really funny. This is what they do best in all their films. If someone isn't on board with that then they certainly won’t be won over here. As for me, I love all these actors and it is a treat to hang out with them for a couple hours. It’s such a strength that they’re playing themselves so the references are real and funny, especially when they dig into each-other’s personal lives and movies. There are some great extended back and forth moments that keep going and keep getting funnier, an exchange between James Franco and Danny McBride about bodily fluids comes to mind.

What surprised me was how relatable the movie is, despite the grandeur of its premise and actors. At its core, it’s a movie about friendship. We’ve all had friends who try to incorporate us into their new group of friends, despite the fact that it feels forced and neither party really wants it. I totally empathize with Jay when he goes to the party where he hates everyone and just wants to leave. I’ve been through that and it makes the moments of people trying to be extra nice or ditching him resonate very strong.

If the film suffers from anything it’s in the bottleneckedness of the location. This does allow it to feel more like a hang out but it gets to a point where the setting and story seem stagnant and slightly tedious. While there are many funny lines there seemed to be a lack of any real memorable lines that will be quoted for years to come. I’m scouring my brain and able to think of moments but no lines really stick out like they did in Superbad for example. It’s still very funny and very offensive but it doesn't quite reach the classic comedy levels that it very well could have.